Trending News: LeBron James To Fund Scholarship To Uinversity Of Akron For As Many As 2300 Kids

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LeBron James has pledged to provide scholarships to as many as 2,300 kids from Akron to the University of Akron.

Long Story

LeBron James is giving back to the community that supported him on his journey to NBA stardom.

ESPN reports that the NBA superstar and Akron, Ohio native pledged to provide children who qualify for his "I Promise" program with a full four-year scholarship to the University of Akron (UA).

The program is the result of a partnership between The LeBron James Family Foundation and UA.

UA president Scott Scarborough told the Akron Beacon Journal that he estimates an average four-year scholarship is about $38,000. The article also states that LeBron's program could put as many as 2,300 kids through post-secondary. LeBron's really putting his money where his mouth is.

Scholarship recipients have to graduate from a high school in the Akron public school system, maintain a certain grade point average, and fulfill a community service obligation. The criteria for the scholarship is still being finalized

"It's the reason I do what I do," said James at an event for students at Cedar Point Amusement Park. "These students have big dreams, and I'm happy to do everything I can to help them get there. They're going to have to earn it, but I'm excited to see what these kids can accomplish knowing that college is in their futures."

LeBron, who grew up in a single-parent home in Akron, explained that when he was growing up, going to college wasn't something a lot of inner-city African-American kids could imagine doing because of the financial hurdle.

The first cohort of high school students eligible for the scholarship will graduate in 2021.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question: Why is tuition to college in the U.S. so inaccessibly high in the first place?Disrupt Your Feed: LeBron just set the bar for other wealthy athletes in terms of philanthropy.Drop This Fact: In 2008, LeBron donated $20,000 to a committee to elect Barack Obama.